Foreign
Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk refuses to shake hands with Russian opponent after winning first WTA title
Marta Kostyuk secured her first senior tournament win at the ATX Open with a 6-3 7-5 victory over Russian opponent Varvara Gracheva.
Kostyuk has been an outspoken critic of Russian and Belarusian players being allowed to continue to play on the WTA Tour and has previously condemned players who refuse to condemn the invasion of her country by Moscow.
After winning the tournament, Kostyuk twice walked past Gracheva for a handshake as the Russian headed directly to her chair, instead shaking the hand of the umpire.
Kostyuk dedicated her victory to “all the people who are fighting and dying” in the conflict, and reached the third round of the Australian Open earlier this year.
Russia escalated its ongoing conflict with Ukraine on 24 February 2020 by launching a large-scale invasion into the east of the country.
Under WTA rules, players from Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete on tour, but their flags do not appear alongside competing individuals.
Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players last year, and the Lawn Tennis Association and the All England Club are currently weighing whether to allow players from the two countries to play at this year’s grass events in the UK.
Credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/russia-ukraine-marta-kostyuk-varvara-gracheva-b2294915.html
ENND
